title: Qualitative Analysis To Ascertain Genotypic Identity of or Differences between Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in Laboratories with Limited Resources.
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is currently genotyped using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing, although the high cost of this technique restricts its implementation in resource-limited settings. We designed a MIRU-VNTR format, MLP3 (MIRU-VNTR length polymorphism triplex), that is based on the qualitative comparison of 5 nonfluorescent 3-band fingerprints in conventional electrophoresis and minimizes costs and technical demands. MLP3 successfully resolved cross-contamination alerts, discriminated reinfections from reactivations, clarified suspected microepidemics, and tracked transmission events of high epidemiological interest.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sislema-Egas
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Serrano
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
authors.forename: Darío
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García-de-Viedma
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D058889:Molecular Typing / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial